Dispensing cabinet



Nova 4 1924.1

C. ARELT DI SPENSING CABINET Filed Jan. 17 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet l NIHIIIIIIHIIHIIIIIIIIIII WITNESS Arron/ms Nov. '4, 1924.` ,5l3,792

c. ARELT DISPENS ING CABINET Filed Jan. 17. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTUR/VEYS Nov. 4 1924. 1,513,792

c. ARELT DISPENSING CABINET Filed Jan. 17, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 M///VESS Jal INV/ENTR? Patented Nov. d, i924.

ourse STATES CHARLES AREL'I, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A-.SSIGNOB TG INDEPENDENT PAPER MILLS, IN C., O'F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DISPENSING CABINET.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES ARELT, a citizen of the United States, and resident bf the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York,`have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dispensing Cabinets, of which -thefollowing is a specication.

`My invention relates to dispensing cabinets and more particularly to cabinets for dispensing paper napkins, paper towels or equivalent articles and has -for its object to provide a cabinet of novel and simple construction ada ted to provide for the withdrawal of in ividual napkins, towels or the like in a unique manner and to provide an eiiicient protection for said napkins, towels or theI like against contamination. Other more specific objects of the invention will a pear from the description hereinafter and tige features of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claims. v

In the accompanying drawings which Show several examples of the invention without defining its limits, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the cabinet; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, partly in section; Fig. 3

is a perspective view of al package of p aper napkins arranged for use in the cabinet; Fig. 4 is' a cross-section of the cabinet on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2; Fig..5 is a crosssection on'the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, longitudinal. section of the delivery end of said cabinet; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a follower' which may be utilized in the cabinet; Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of another form ofthe cabinet; Fig. 9 is an inverted plan view thereof and Fig. 10 is an exterior view illustrating the cabinet in position for refilling.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, the cabinet comprises a container 5 o suitable material and of convenient dimensions which has its lower end open and whichis provided preferably, with brackets or other devices 6' whereby said container may be suspended from a wall or other support 7 the upper end of this form of the container 5 may be open or, as is preferred, it may be permanently closed as indicated at 8. At its lower end the cabinet is provided; with a plurality of .members 9 which extend -inwardly-toward each other to provide a support for the contents of the container 5 and to define a space or discharge convenient manner to.

opening 10 throu h which the contents may be removed in in ividual units. In the preferred construction the cabinet 5 is made in the form of a Greek cross in cross-section and 1s adapted to contain a stack 11 of napkins, towels or the like which, as shown in l iam, PApN- oFFicE.

Fig. 3, are also arranged in the form of a l corresponding cross, the arms of which extend .into the channels. 12 resulting fron'rthe cross-shape of said container as` shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In such case the members 9 are located at the lower' ends of said channels 12 and are of such dimensions as to practically close the. same and to define a rectangular space 10 corresponding in dimensions to the'intermediate area a of the stack of napkins, towels or the like. A follower or weight 13 also of cross-shape has its arms slidably fitted in the channels 12 and is adapted to rest upon the stack 11 to exert a downward pressure thereon. Be5 cause of the fact that alternate napkins, towels or the like cross each other at the intermediate section a of the stack, this intermediate section is of-greater density than the projecting portions of said stack.` The weight ofthe stack plus the pressure exerted by the follower or weight 13 tends to bulge the intermediate section a of the lowermost napkin downwardly through the discharge space 10 so vthat the edges of said terminal napkin are readily accessible and easily taken hold of when it is desired to secure a napkin, towel or the like. As the terminal napkin is thus withdrawn, the next succeeding napkin immediately takes its place and is likewise bulged downwardly through the opening 10. It will be understood that the napkins, towels or the like are folded in any produce a crossshaped stack in the most esirable way. In

f the form shown in Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, the

members 9 are dpivoted at 9a and are fixed against outwar movement materially beyond their horizontal positions relative to the container 5, by lugs-or stops 14 which extend inwardly at the lower ehd of the container 5 and provide supports upon which said members 9 are adapted to rest as' shown in Fig. 6. Springs 9b may be provided for automatically and resiliently maintaining said members 9 in their normal positions against said flanges and for returning them thereto. With this arrangement the container 5 may be filled by way of its lower Misses end; that is to say, the stack of napkins in proper position to register with the channels 12 may be pressed upwardly against the members 9 which are thus forced inwardly against the tension of the springs 9b and permit the stack 11 to be passed into the container 5. The stack is inserted to a sufficient extent to bring its lowermost end high enough to release the members 9 which are imediately restored to their normal approximately horizontal ositions by the action of the sprin s 9b. T e stack 11 is then lowered and rought to rest upon said members 9 which support the vsame and are held against outward movement by the action of the ianges 14. It will, of course, be understood that the follower either concurrently with the stack or prior thereto as desired. The refilling of the cabinet is thus a very simple operation and makes it ossible to permanently seal the upper endp thereof from which it follows that a. maximum protection against contamination of the napkins, towels or the like is secured. It will be obvious that instead of having the lower end of the cabinet 5 extend in a curve as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings the same may be otherwise arranged, the curved form being included simply to render the discharge end of the cabinet more accessible.

In the form illustrated in Figs. 8, 9 and 10 the cabinet comprises a container 5a which generally may correspond as to material, dimensions and form to the container 5 of the form first described. Instead, however, of having its upper end freely open or permanently closed said container 5 is provided with a cover 8a hinged at 8b and having an upstanding lug 8c provided with an aperture, the purpose of which will appear more clearly hereinafter. Instead o-f having spring pressed members at its lower end as in the first form, the container 5 is provided with fixed members 9C which extend inwardly toward each other to form a discharge opening or space l()a corresponding to the opening 10 of the form previously described; the members 9a are located at the lower ends of the channels 12l of the container 5a and preferably have their inner ends curved downwardly indicated at 9d; if desired two or more of the members 9c may be provided with recesses as indicated at 9e for the accommodation of the fingers to facilitate the removal of terminal napkins. In the form now being described the follower 13, which may correspond to the follower 13 of Fig. 7, and similarly fit into the channels 12a, is preferably attached by means of a chain 15 or its equivalent to the cover 8BL whereby the downward movement of said follower and its eHect upon the stack of napkins or the like, located in the container, is arrested at a predetermined point.

13 is introduced Instead of being provided with brackets for attachment to the wall or other support, the container in the present form is preferably hinged at its lower end at 6 to said wall or support so,as to be capable of being swung to the horizontal position for refilling as indicated in Fig. 10. To maintain the container in an upright position and at the same time to lock the cover against opening, a staple 16 may be fixed upon the wall or other support 7 a in a position to project through the aperture of the lug 8c; as shown in Fig. 8 a. lock 17 may be hung 'in the staple 16 to prevent the cover from being opened and the container from being swung on the hinge 6a out of its upright position. A stop 18 of rubber or other suitable material may be located upon the wall or other support 7 a to form a buffer for the container 5a and to compensate for the hinge 6a at the other end of the container whereby the latter is supported in parallel relation to the wall or other support 7 In this form when it is desired to fill the container 5a it is swung to the position indicated in Fig. 10 in which it may be sustained by means of one or more stopchains 19 and in which thecover 8a is free to be swung to an open position. The follower 13a being first removed, the stack of napkins or its equivalent is introduced into the con tainer and brought to rest with one end upon the members 9. After having been filled the follower is reintroduced into the container, the cover is closed and the whole device is swung on the hinge 6a to the position indicated in Fig. 8 and locked therein by means of the staple 16 and lock 17. From this point the operation of the device is exactly the same as in the form previously described, it being understood that the chain 15 is `so dimensioned as t0 permit the follower to travel downwardly to the bottom of the container 5*. Inthe preferred arrangement the bottom of the latter is arranged so that the members 9 are inclined upwardly as shown in Fig. 8; this arrangement is preferred for the reason that in this way the discharge aperture 1071 or in other words the terminal napkin is rendered more easily accessible.

In the preferred form the follower 13 or 13u is provided with a depending projection 13b which is ada ted to project through the space 10, when t e final napkin or its equvalent has been removed, thus indicating that the cabinet is empty; the projection 13b may be of any desired character but is preferably of a size and shape -to fit and approximately fill the opening 10.

"Ihe cabinet is particularly designed for containing and dispensing paper napkins and paper towels and by reducing the operation of withdrawing individual napkins or towels to the simplest form, does away with Waste which results when individual napkins or towels can be obtained only with difficulty; that is to say, the cabinet does away with the possibility of withdrawing more than one individual napkin or towel at a time.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the nature of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A dispensing cabinet for sheets of material comprising a container in which said sheets are arranged in a stack, said container having its lower end open, a plurality of members movably connected with said container and extending toward each other at said lower end to define an opening through which said sheets may be individually removed and means for permanently fixing said members against outward movement relatively to said container to provide a support for said stack and for permitting a movement of said members into said co-ntainer when the latter is empty.

2. A dispensing cabinet for Ipaper napkins or the like comprising a container having the form of a Greek cross in cross-seo tion and arranged to contain a stack of paper nap-kins or the like stacked to form a corresponding cross, said container having its lower end open, a plurality of members pivotally connected with said container at said lower end and each located in a channel formed by an arm of the cross, said members providing a support for the stack of napkins or the like and extending toward each other to define a rectangular opening through which the terminal napkins or the like may be withdrawn, permanently fixed lugs extending inwardly at the lower end of said container for arresting outward ymovements of said members witho-ut interfering with the inward movements thereof, springs whereby said members are normally pressed in outward directions against said lugs and are permitted to yield inwardly into said container to permit filling of the latter from below and a cross-shaped follower slidably fitted in the channels of said container and adapted lto restupon said stack of napkins or the like.

3. A dispensing cab-inet for paper napkins or the like comp-rising a container having the form of a. Greek cross in cross-section and arranged to contain a stack of paper napkins or the like stacked to form a corresponding cross, said container having its lower end open, a plurality of members pivotally connected with said container at said lower end and each located in a channel formed by an arm otl the cross, said members providing a suppe-rt for the stack of napkins or the like and extending toward each other to define a rectangular opening through which the terminal napkins or the like may be withdrawn, permanently fixed lugs extending inwardly at the lower end of said container for arresting outward Inovements of' said members without interfering with inward movements thereof during the filling of the container from below, and springs whereby said members are resiliently maintained in their normal position against said lugs and returned thereto.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES ARELT. 

